The present invention is directed to hair care compositions and a method for conditioning and bodifying the hair. The hair care compositions which impart body to the treated hair without giving up conditioning attributes. In particular, the present invention relates to hair care compositions comprising one or more solvent-swollen polymer systems in a water or hydroalcoholic carrier, and a method for conditioning and bodifying human hair.
In the past, it has been difficult to deliver good hair body from a hair treatment composition without giving up conditioning attributes. There is a consumer need for a conditioner to provide more than the typical conditioning attributes which include improved wet and dry combing properties; freedom from static charge buildup; enhanced feel and softness. The current conditioner technology has not successfully addressed the need for incorporating enhanced body (improved resiliency and bounce) and style creation without sacrificing the conditioning attributes.
Thus, it is an object of this invention to provide hair care compositions utilizing polymer systems which can provide improved body, resiliency and bounce while maintaining the wet and dry properties expected from conditioner.
The present invention relates to a hair conditioning composition and a method of treating hair, and more particularly to aqueous hair conditioners which contain one or more polymer systems. The hair conditioner compositions deposit swollen particles onto the hair surface rather than continuous films. The particle systems are incorporated into hair conditioning compositions in the range of 0.1 to 20%. The formulations deposit discrete swollen particles onto hair with total surface coverage ranging from 0.001 to 50%. These formulations have been demonstrated to deliver a consumer perceptible increase in hair body and style enhancement without sacrificing conditioning attributes.
More specifically, the invention relates to hair care compositions which comprise (a) one or more polymer systems in the form of discrete particles, wherein said particles are swollen with a non-aqueous solvent; and (b) water or a hydroalcoholic solution carrier.
As used herein % means weight % of the total composition unless otherwise indicated. Compositions of the invention can be made by methods that are analogous to methods that are known in the art.
As used herein discrete particles means material that exists as independent, irregular or spherical masses. When referring to material deposited on a surface, discrete particles means deposited materials that are not in the form of continuous films, and have a variable thickness on the substrate surface.
As used herein swollen polymer systems means polymers that increase their volumes by absorbing compatible solvents into their structures.
As used herein total surface coverage means the percentage of total surface area of the substrate surface that is occupied by the deposited material.